


Broken

by bashfulglowfly



Series: Ending of an Era [1]
Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M, Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-09 22:49:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6927130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bashfulglowfly/pseuds/bashfulglowfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Inner Senshi are falling apart but they don't know why. But there is someone waiting to save each of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

Sailor Pluto looked through the Time Gate at the ruins of the once beautiful and powerful solar system.

She couldn’t even use adjectives like “spooky” to describe what was before her.  Not even ghosts existed.  “Gothic” was out of the question because there weren’t any buildings left standing.

It could only, simply, be called “ruins.”

She looked at the orb that floated above her left hand.  It was small for what it was supposed to do.  And surprisingly light for all of its importance.

Of course, it was lucky to even exist at all.  If she hadn’t taken it moments after her sister and her sister’s lover had placed it in her castle, it too would have been destroyed.  She cursed herself for not being able to grab the others but she had, ironically, run out of time.

She took one last look and gently pushed it through the Gate.  “Go.” was all she said before closing the Gate.

Sailor Pluto did not watch as the orb darted for the third planet from the sun.


	2. Chapter 2

Mamoru sat down on the sofa with a sigh. 

 

Usagi was out for the evening with Makoto, Rei and Ami.  Minako was on tour somewhere in Europe.  And he was by himself.

 

About to do something that he wasn’t really sure that he actually wanted to do but he had lost the argument with Usagi, so…

 

He stared out the window at the full moon and thought back.  He remembered when he realized that he’d lost…them.

 

It had been two weeks after the battle with Galaxia had ended and a seemingly random comment from Usagi made him remember.  The four stones.  He had discretely patted his pockets and they weren’t there.  He remembered that he’d had them with him on the plane when Galaxia attacked him but he wasn’t sure where they were now.

 

When he got home, he tore apart his apartment, scouring every inch for the stones.  Nothing.  He searched his car.  Nothing.  He even searched his motorcycle.  Nope.

 

They were gone.  The four stones that had once been the Shitennou were gone.

 

He brooded about it for a while then life went on and he gradually forgot about them.

 

Then four nights ago, Usagi, worried about her friends, asked him about them.  He tried to put her off but she was insistent and pried the truth out of him.  He was still trying to figure out how she did that because her interrogation skills were decidedly lacking and she wasn’t able to keep a secret to save her life.

 

She had glared up at him in her tiny, golden magnificence and told him that he needed to find the Shitennou.

_“Why?”_

_She stomped a foot at him.  “Don’t you dare start telling me that they betrayed you, blah, blah, blah!  You know they didn’t!”_

_“I know.  But I’ve done well without them.”_

_Her face softened.  “Yes, you have.  But what about the future?  Are you going to do so well without them then?  I’ll have the girls but what about you?”_

_“I’ll be fine.”_

_“You’ll be lonely.”  She smiled at his negative response.  “Yes, you will.  You know you will.  I don’t know what the chances of Motoki being with us are but it’s quite possible they may be very slim.  YOU need them.  To be your friends, to give you advice, to help you combat all of the girly you know you’re going to be surrounded by.”_

_He laughed.  “Combat the girly?”_

_Usagi took a swipe at him that he was able to easily dodge.  “You know what I mean!”  She softened and wrapped her arms around him.  He held her close, burying his face in her hair.  “You need them.  And the girls need them.”_

_He knew what she meant.  They had been discussing the four inner senshi and how they were getting along.  And what they saw worried him and frightened Usagi._

_“Call them.” Came the soft order._

_“I don’t know how.”_

_“Your heart does.  The Golden Crystal does.  Use it.  Call them.”_

Mamoru sighed.  Then took a deep breath and concentrated.

 

The Golden Crystal appeared in his hands.  Its lotus form glowing softly.

 

Mamoru stared deep into its petals…


	3. Chapter 3

Ami was broken.

 

And she knew it.

 

But she tried to hide it.

 

She tried to hide the fact that she wasn’t eating because her stomach hurt every time she ate.  So she hid the fact that she was living on protein shakes and liquid antacids.  She tried to hide the fact that she was losing weight that she couldn’t afford to lose, so she wore baggy clothes.

 

But people noticed.  And asked if she was all right.

 

So she lied and tried not to stay in the same spot for too long.

 

She just kept moving and moving and moving.  Because she knew if she stopped, she would collapse and would not be able to get moving again.

 

She tried not to let the other girls notice but even the usually unobservant Usagi noticed and tried to talk to her about it.  Ami managed by talking fast and using terms she knew Usagi wouldn’t understand to make Usagi think that she was okay.

 

She hadn’t counted on Usagi actually remembering the words and asking Mamoru.  Ami couldn’t lie to or hide how thin she had become from Mamoru.  Ami actually shouted at him, claiming that she was just fine.

 

Mamoru looked at her and called her a liar.  He gave her an ultimatum:  Either she gets help on her own or he would have her suspended and hospitalized.

 

Ami could only stare at him.  She could feel her entire body shaking with…something.  She couldn’t tell if it was anger, fear, pain…she couldn’t tell.  But, without another word, she turned and ran.

 

Ami, for the first time since she had become a Senshi, turned and ran away.  She ran and ran and ran.  As she ran, she felt something well up in her chest and she coughed…

 

Blood splattered to the ground.  Ami could only stop and stare numbly at the blood.  She felt something drip down her chin.  She coughed again and more blood covered the cement.

 

She could see people staring at her in horror.  She could see their mouths moving but the sound reaching her ears was distorted.  Then the people began to shimmer like heat waves.  She felt something wrap around her waist and the last thing she heard was someone cursing her for a fool.

 

Ami stretched and yawned.  She still felt drowsy.  She also felt warm, comfortable and safe.  She frowned.  _Safe?_   She reached for her phone to see what time it was. 

 

The phone wasn’t where she normally kept it. 

 

In fact, her bedside table was missing.  Ami opened her eyes and what she saw made her sit upright in shock.

 

Then she gasped in horror with the realization that she was nude beneath the covers.  She snatched up the sheet and held it over her breasts.  Then she looked around trying to figure out where she was.

 

She was on a huge four-poster bed with a canopy and drapes that could close and hide the bed’s occupants from prying eyes.  In one corner was a large chair that had a table covered with books next to it and a lamp that that was in the perfect position to illuminate what ever the chair’s occupant was reading.  There was a desk against another wall with a closed laptop on top as well as more books and papers neatly organized.  The room’s stone walls were covered with paintings and tapestries.  All in all, it looked like a something from a medieval castle with very modern touches.

 

There were two windows in the room and soft morning light glowed through both and she could hear birds chirping.

 

Then the door creaked open and a young girl walked in.  She saw that Ami was awake and smiled.  “Good morning, Mercury-sama.”

 

“G-Good morning.”

 

The girl walked closer and peered closely at Ami.  “You look much better.”  She said approvingly.  “The potions worked quite well,” She shook a finger at Ami “but you mustn’t allow yourself to get that sick again!  How will you be able to watch over Serenity-hime if you are ill.”

 

“I’m sorry.”  Ami didn’t know why she was apologizing but felt that she needed to do so.

 

The girl smiled.  “That’s quite alright.  You must feel quite unclean.  It’s been two weeks since you’ve had anything other than a sponge bath.”

 

 _Two weeks?_   Ami quietly watched as the girl got a thin cotton robe and held it out to her.  Ami slid out of the bed and donned the robe.  “Who are you?”

 

The girl bowed “My name is Vespertine, Mercury-sama.  I am one of the Maenads.  My sister is Dawn.”

 

“Maenad?”

 

“We are priestesses.  We help guard the Shrine.”  Vespertine smiled.  “This is a safe place, Mercury-sama, you need not fear for your safety.  The bathing room is this way.  After you’ve had your bath, there will be a meal waiting for you.”

 

“Thank you.”  Ami entered the bathroom and shut the door behind her.  The bathroom was very modern with a large mirror above a double vanity and the biggest shower and jetted tub she’d ever seen.  She normally took showers but she decided to be slothful and wallow in the tub.  She even drowsed a little.

 

It was the muted chink of dishes that woke her.  She quickly shampooed her hair, rinsed it and her body off and climbed out of the tub.  She turned to look for the drain but it was draining by itself.  She raised an eyebrow at that but she was getting chilled and quickly dried herself off.  She slipped the robe back on and padded on bare feet to the door.

 

She opened the door and her stomach growled at the scent of food in the air.  She saw that a table neatly set with dishes, glasses and silverware had appeared along with a cart with covered plates on it.

 

“How do you feel?”

 

Ami froze at the masculine voice and turned to look.  She gasped and backed up, one hand covering her mouth.

 

The sun pouring through the windows shadowed the man but she could see his outline as he began to move then he was where she could see him properly.

 

Zoicite.

 

He was the same but not quite the same as when she had last seen him.  The same bottle green eyes and long dark blond hair but his voice was deeper and his features more masculine.  He moved towards her, walking like a cat.  He stopped a few feet away and looked at her.  “How are you feeling?”

 

“F-fine.”

 

An elegant brow rose in question.  “I hope that you’re much more than just fine considering what you were like when I brought you here.”

 

“W-what I was like?”

 

Zoicite scowled at her.  “You little fool!  You had a bleeding ulcer!  You damn near died.  If it hadn’t been for the efforts of Helios and the Maenads, you would have!  I thank the Gods that they had medicine that worked on you.”

 

Ami could only continue to stare.  _A bleeding ulcer?  Medicine that worked?_

 

“Ami?”

 

“Sorry.  I’m just trying process why you aren’t trying to kill me and that you’re upset over the fact that I was ill.”

 

Zoicite tugged his ponytail agitatedly.  “You don’t remember.  Of course not.  Dammit.  Dammit.  Dammit!”  He began to pace, mutter and gesture.  Ami watched with, almost, detached fascination.  He turned back to her.  “Of course I’m upset over the fact that you made yourself so sick!  I have every right to be upset!”

 

Ami stared at him.  “No you don’t!”

 

Zoicite with three long strides was standing in front of her and bent down until they were nose to nose.  “As your fiancé I have EVERY right to be concerned about you!”

 

“Like hell you’re my fiancé!” snapped Ami.

 

Zoicite gasped and placed one hand over his heart theatrically, “You said a naughty word!”

 

Ami snarled at him, raised a fist at him and was about to take a step towards him when Zoicite laughed, “You’re so cute!”

 

Ami froze then her hand lowered and she felt her face thaw.  When he laughed, she realized that she couldn’t strike him.  She didn’t know why but she just couldn’t.  Then she received another shock when he pulled her into his arms and not only didn’t she resist but she felt her body mold against his.

 

She felt his cheek against the top of her head.  “You still smell the same.  You still smell like you.  I’ve missed you so much, my water nymph.”

 

For some reason, Ami felt tears well up in her eyes and spill down her cheeks.  Zoicite merely held her tighter and murmured soothing words she didn’t hear.  She wasn’t sure how much time passed but eventually she stopped crying and realized that she was sitting in Zoicite’s lap at the small table that held their food.

 

“I’m sorry.  The food’s probably all cold now.”

 

“Silly Nymph!”  Zoicite kissed her nose.  “As if I don’t have the magical skills to keep food perfect.”  He stood up, cradling her for a moment then set her down in the chair and took his own.  “After what we went through to get you healthy, do you really think that I’m going to let you go without eating?”

 

“I feel like an idiot.  I _know_ better.  I really do…but I don’t understand why I let myself go like that.”

 

Zoicite sighed then pointed at the food.  Ami began to obediently eat.  “I suspect we can blame PTSD from two different lifetimes for a lot of what’s going on.  There’s someone I think you need to talk to.  He doesn’t look very worldly but he does understand what we, the Shitennou, have been through and has helped a lot.  That and, for a priest, he can play a damn good game of Call of Duty.”

 

Ami giggled.  “How long have I been here?  And where is here?”

 

“You’ve been here two weeks and this is Elysian.”

 

Ami felt her eyes widen.  _I’ve been here two weeks?!  My mother must be going insane with worry!  Not to mention Usagi and the other girls._  

 

Zoicite continued.  “Don’t worry about your mother.  Things were explained to her, at least as much as she could comprehend…and then we cheated a bit.  Usagi knows where you are at and she’s taken care of everything else.”

 

Ami blinked, sighed, bent her head over her food and proceeded to clean off her plate.  It was the first time in a long time that she actually felt hungry.  And her stomach didn’t hurt when she ate.  She leaned back in the chair and sighed with contentment at the sated feeling she had.

 

Zoicite smiled.  She truly was as beautiful as ever.  The only woman he had ever loved.  “There’s something I want to show you.  Are you up for a walk?”

 

“I think so.”  Ami frowned.  “But I need to get dressed first.”

 

Zoicite pushed back his chair and pulled Ami out of hers and led her over to a large wardrobe.  “You should find something suitable in here.”  He leaned down and kissed her cheek.  “I’ll be back in 10 minutes.”

 

Ami could only stare after him as he strode out the door.  One hand cupped her cheek where he kissed her.  She took a deep breath and shook her head violently trying to clear her mind.  She opened the wardrobe and stared.  Inside were clothing for a woman.  In shades of white to a deep blue-black.

 

Her size.

 

She stared for a moment more then pulled out a light blue sundress with a scoop neckline and slipped on a matching pair of ballet slippers.  Just as she finished, there was a knock on the door.

 

Zoicite voice came through the door.  “Are you ready?”

 

Ami opened the door and stepped out of the room and into the hallway.  Zoicite looked her up and down and gave her a smile that seemed to encompass love, lust and admiration all at once.  He held out his hand to her and she took hold.  “Follow me.”

 

Ami found herself only able to watch Zoicite as he led her downstairs, through a main hallway and through a series of rooms.  She couldn’t understand why she could only see him.  The something caught her attention and she stopped.

 

“Ami?”

 

Her eyes searched but they were unfocused, thinking.  “There’s…something …calling …calling to me…”  She said softly.

 

Zoicite smiled and brushed a kiss against her cheek.  “I’m not surprised.  Here.”  He released her hand and opened a double set of doors.  “This is what you feel.”  And he stepped inside, motioning her to follow.

 

If Ami had been paying attention, she would have noticed an immense library, three stores high, filled with books.  But what caught her attention were eight marble stands.  Floating above the stands were eight orbs.  Eight representations of the planets of the solar system but not quite what she was used to.  “What are they?” she breathed as she stared.

 

Zoicite’s voice came from behind her.  “When you made them, you called them a catalogue.”

 

“I made them?”

 

“Yes.  During the Silver Millennium.”

 

“You said I called them a catalogue, what do you call them.”

 

“I have to say that I think of them as an Ark.”


	4. Chapter 4

Rei was broken.

 

And she knew it.

 

But she tried to hide it.

 

She couldn’t sleep at night.  Nightmares plagued her.  She’d wake up screaming causing her grandfather to burst into her room asking what was wrong.

She would lie.

She tried staying awake so that the nightmares wouldn’t come but inevitably her body would collapse and the nightmares came back…even stronger.

She tried calling Ami but she kept getting the water senshi’s voice mail.  Finally, out of desperation, she called the hospital directly and was told that Dr. Mizuno was on a leave of absence.

That’s when she made the most desperate move she could make:  She called Usagi to ask where Ami was.

But when Usagi said that Ami was on a leave of absence and no one would be able to get hold of her, Rei screamed a torrent of abuse at her princess then flung the phone against the wall.

Less than an hour later Usagi and Mamoru were at the Temple.

“We’re worried about you, Rei-chan.  Let us help!” begged Usagi.

“I don’t need your help!  I just want to talk to Ami.  That’s all!” snarled Rei.

“Rei…” began Mamoru.

“Get out!  You can’t help me!  Get out!”  Rei physically pushed her two friends out of her room, off the porch and onto the ground.  “Just get out of here!  I don’t need you!  I don’t need anybody!”

“Rei!”

**“GET OUT!”**

But Usagi and Mamoru weren’t the ones who left.  It was Rei.

She fled to the interior of the Temple and into the room that housed the Sacred Fire.

She didn’t notice the Fire flaring wildly as she quickly made the ritual hand motions.

“Sacred Fire!  Help me find the cause of my nightmares!”

The Fire Flared again.  But showed her nothing.

Rei snarled and bared her teeth at the Fire and performed the ritual again.

“Sacred Fire!  Do what I command!  Find the source of my nightmares!”

The Fire suddenly roared and flared up to the ceiling and out almost to the walls. 

Rei screamed and tried to scramble backwards but she couldn’t move.

From the flames came a man who reached for her.

Rei screamed again.  “GET AWAY!  DON’T TOUCH ME!”

The Flame covered man spoke.  His voice was full of sadness.  “Firebird.”

His hand reached out and just before he touched her, Rei’s mind and body collapsed.

**“NO!!  DON’T TOUCH ME!!”**

Rei gasped for breath.  Then she realized that she wasn’t in the room that housed the sacred fire.

The room was round and the walls were made of stone.  There were two windows that were opposite each other and were open.  Late morning sunlight streamed in and illuminated the paintings on the walls.  They were of places that she knew yet didn’t know.

The bed she was on was comfortable and warm.  The duvet was a woolen warm shade of red but the sheets were soft white cotton.  She could see a bathroom through one doorway but the other door was closed.

She had no clue as to where she was.

She slipped out of the bed and realized that she was in a white nightgown with a square neckline, broad straps and it swirled around her ankles.

Rei made her way to the window and looked outside.  Somehow she wasn’t surprised that she didn’t recognize the landscape.  Surrounding the building she was in was a vast lawn which lead to a tree-line of oak, birch and maple trees that went on as far as the eye could see.  She ran over to the other window and it was the same vista…only beneath her was a patio with a table and chairs situated in front of a pond.

She turned her head slowly.  Off to the north, if her senses were correct it was north, she felt something vaguely familiar but she couldn’t put her finger on it.

“Where the Hell am I?” she whispered to herself.

Rei told a deep breath and straightened her shoulders.  She was the Senshi of Fire and of War.  There wasn’t a damn thing that she was afraid of.  She marched across the room and flung open the door that she assumed lead out.  And she was right.

Carefully she poked her head outside and looked around.

Nothing except an empty hallway and a staircase.  Slowly she made her way to the staircase and walked down.  Pausing ever few steps to listen.  But she heard nothing.  When she finally reached the bottom of the stairs, Rei once again looked around.  She saw a long hallway with several rooms off to each side and a set of huge double doors at one end.  The doors had to be two stories tall and looked like they could withstand a barbarian army.

Rei quietly padded down the hall when the clacking of a keyboard coming from one room caught her attention.  She peeked inside and sitting behind a desk in front a window with his back to her was a blond man typing quickly on a laptop.

Rei saw a dagger displayed on a table next to the doorway and quietly picked it up.  Stealthily she moved towards the blond man.

“Good morning, Mars.”  Rei froze in place as the blond man spoke.  His voice made something quiver deep inside her.  “If you’re going to stab me, sweetheart, can you wait a few seconds until I get this sent off to my professor?”

Rei straightened abruptly.  “I’m not your sweetheart!” she flared.

The man pressed a few more keys.  “Done.” He said with satisfaction in his voice.  He turned around to face her.

Rei recoiled.  “Jadeite!”

Jadeite stood up and walked towards her.  Rei raised the dagger to defend herself.

Jadeite walked past her.  Speaking over his shoulder, he said “It’s late.  I’m sure you’re hungry.  Follow me to the kitchen and I’ll fix you something.”

Rei could only blink as he walked out of the room.  She took several deep breaths to steady herself then she followed him.  She told herself that it was only because she wanted answers and he had them.  A tiny little voice in the back of her mind sneered.

She sent her senses outward and discovered Jadeite in a surprisingly modern kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.  The room had a window above the sink and French doors that led out to the patio she’d seen earlier.

“Modern looking isn’t it?”  Jadeite smiled at her as he pulled several items from the large refrigerator.  Rei could see that it was packed with food.  She nearly smiled when she saw that one shelf seemed to be dedicated to beer.  “I hope you like American Style omelets.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had one.”

“Oh, then you’re in for a treat, I hope.  Neph showed me how to make them.”

“Why does the kitchen look so modern when the rest of…this place looks…”

“Medieval?” 

“Yes.”

“Haven’t expended the magic to remodel the rest of it.  I’ve been waiting actually.”

“For what?”

“For whom.  And I’ve been waiting for you.”

Rei was so startled that she had realized she dropped the dagger until it thumped on the counter.  “Me?  You were waiting for me?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Happy wife, happy life.”

**“WHAT?!”**

Jadeite slid a plate over to her with the omelet that smelled absolutely delicious.  Rei picked up a fork and tentively cut off a portion and raised it to her mouth and ate it.

Rei moaned as the flavors exploded in her mouth.  Jadeite grinned then began eating his own.  “I knew you’d like it.”

Rei savored another bite and managed to glare at him at the same time.

“Okay, so the happy wife, happy life isn’t the best way to put it.  But I didn’t want to do anything to the place until you were here to put in your input.”

“Why my input?” she asked suspiciously.

“Because I love you and I want you to be happy.”

“I don’t even _know_ you.”

“I know.  Just like I really don’t know you.  But, we’ll get to know each other.  And we’ll go on from there.”

Rei realized that she’d devoured the entire omelet without really thinking.  “Are you the reason I was have nightmares?”

Jadeite shook his head.  “No.  At least I don’t think so.  I certainly didn’t do anything deliberately.”

“I was so angry at Usagi.  I was mean.”

“She’ll forgive you.  You just have to apologize.  She’ll always forgive you.”

Rei stared off to the north.  “I wanted Ami to help me but she didn’t return my calls.”

“She’s sicker than you.”

Rei turned towards him, her words sharp.  “Sicker than me?  What do you mean by that?”

“Bleeding ulcer.” He said grimly.  “That’s why Zoi took her over two weeks ago.”

“Does Usagi know.”

“Yeah.  Not how terribly sick Ami was but Usagi knows she’s here under Zoi’s care.  Mamoru knows the complete truth though.”

Rei turned her gaze back to the north.  “Where…am I?  And I feel something to the north but I don’t think it’s Ami.”

“You are in Elysian and no, it isn’t Ami.”

“What is it?”

“Your home planet.  Sort of.”


	5. Chapter 5

Makoto was broken.

And she knew it.

But she tried to hide it.

She was working hard to make her dream of having a bakery and flower shop.  She was working in a bakery for 8 hours starting at 4 am then went to a flower shop and worked there until it closed.

It got to the point that if her days off from each place were on the same day, she nearly went insane trying to figure out what to do.

She could see that Ami and Rei also seemed to be a bit stressed in their own lives but she didn’t say anything to them.  Nor did she say anything to Usagi and Mamoru when they tried to get her to slow down.

She told them that she didn’t have time.  That she needed to get things done NOW before it was too late.

When she was asked what she meant by “too late” she couldn’t explain.  She rose from the table and walked away.

She told herself that she wasn’t fleeing.

Some nights, despite being exhausted from working two jobs, she would go to a club and dance until it closed.

It didn’t matter if she danced by herself, danced with a guy or even another girl.

She just had to dance.

Then she’d drag herself home, crash for a couple of hours then rise and begin her frantic pace all over again.

It took her a little bit but she realized that she hadn’t seen Ami in over a week.  Then Rei disappeared.  She wasn’t exactly sure when she had spoken to either one but when she asked Usagi, the smaller girl looked her in the eye and told her that the other two were fine.

Usagi said, once again, that she was worried about her but Makoto told her that she was fine.

Usagi lost her temper and slapped the taller girl and called her a liar.

Makoto looked at her through hurt green eyes and ran away with Usagi’s voice calling her name ringing in her ears.

That night, she went to her favorite club and began to dance.

And for the first time, she broke her own rule and allowed a strange man to buy her a drink.

She didn’t know what it was.  She didn’t care.  It just tasted good.  She laughed as she noticed as the lights seemed to sparkled and fade at the same time.  The room began to spin as she felt someone take her hand.  She obediently followed the tugging on her arm and went outside.

Her head swirled and she took a deep breath to try and clear it.  A male voice urged her forward and pushed her toward a car.  She was about to get inside when another voice rang out.

“Get your fucking hands off her!”

A brutal hand yanked her away from the car and she voiced a quiet wordless protest.

She watched as the world swirled around her but she thought that her new friend fell to the ground.  She went to help him up but the other voice growled “Oh no you don’t!”

The world spun violently and she floated into the air.  The last thing she saw was a pair of blue eyes before they faded away.  She thought she heard the voice say “Damn you, Sparky!”

The sun was warm against her skin as Makoto murmured softly to herself as she made herself more comfortable on the slightly firm surface.

There was a greater warmth against her back, across her waist and against her head.  It made her feel so very lovely that she didn’t want to wake up.

She felt a kiss against her right shoulder and a deep voice whispered in her ear.  “Sparky, it’s time to get up.”

“Lemme sleep a bit longer, ‘kay?”

She felt rather than heard the chuckle.  “Jadeite’s in your Moon Lilies again.”

Her eyes popped open and she leapt to her feet **“Damn you, Jadeite!  You leave my flowers…”**   Jupiter blinked.  She didn’t see Jadeite or her Moon Lilies.  In fact, she didn’t know where she was.  She looked around wildly, her hair lashing her face, trying to figure out where she was.

The garden she was in was beautiful.  Roses in all shades, primroses, iris, sweet pea and even varieties of lilies as well has countless other flowers.  A fountain burbled gently and in its depths she could see koi slowly swimming.

She looked down at herself and she was wearing a pale pink dress with spaghetti straps, a sweetheart neckline and it clung to her knees in the gentle breeze.  Makoto turned around and looked at the man sitting on the lounge behind her.  He was wearing a pale blue loose shirt open partway down his chest and white drawstring pants that went to his ankles.  His bare feet were firmly on the bricks.

“Nephrite?”

“Hello, Sparky.”

“How did I get into this dress?”

“Would you believe me if I said I didn’t look when I undressed you and put you in it?”

“No.”

“Good.  Because I don’t have that sort of self-control.”

“You saw me naked?”

Nephrite grinned at her.  “Oh, yeah!  Hey, I’m the Knight of Intelligence and Comfort not the Knight of Self-Sacrifice and Noble Stupidity.”

Makoto seriously contemplated, for all of five seconds, calling down the lightning then decided it wasn’t worth the energy.  “This is a beautiful garden.” She said softly.

He beamed at her.  “You like it?” his tone was almost boyish.

“Yes.”

He smiled even wider.  “I designed it with you in mind.  No Moon Lilies admittedly but there are other types.”

“Why did you say what you said to get me up?”

“Well you didn’t want to wake up but I figured after three days, you’d slept enough.”

Makoto interrupted him, shocked to her core.  “Three days?!”

Nephrite nodded “Yeah, but you needed the sleep.  But I said what I said because I figured that your sub-consciousness would remember Jadeite going into your garden in the Moon Kingdom and stealing your flowers to give to Mars.”

The memory unfolded in her mind and Makoto laughed softly.  “Half the time I never caught him but I knew he was the one.  He practically tore the plants out of the ground.  I finally had to show him out to do it properly and left a pair of flower shears so he’d used that instead of his dagger.”

Nephrite laughed along with her.  “Yeah, Jade was an idiot back then about Mars.  Still is.  I guess we’re all idiots about the four of you.”

“You’re alive.  All of you.”

“Yes.”

Makoto looked around.  There were no other buildings nearby.  “Where are we?”

“Elysian.”

“Elysian?  Where’s that?”

Nephrite rubbed the back of his neck.  “Welll, it’s here but not here.  Elysian is what you may know as Atlantis.”

“Atlantis?!  We’re underwater!”  Makoto’s eyes were huge.

“No!  No, we’re not underwater.”  Nephrite reached out, took her hand and tugged gently until she was sitting next to him.  “That was a mistranslation of a document.  A very bad mistranslation really.  Elysian was the home of the High King of Earth and when Beryl started her…well, shit, when she started her shit, arrangements were made to protect Elysian.  But things escalated and went downhill so quickly that Elysian had to be protected and protected right then and there, so things were done in a quick and dirty manner.  Which spawned the whole island disappearing thing.”

“Was it an island?”

“Well it was part of an island.”

“Which one?”

“Japan.  Where Tokyo is actually.”

“There isn’t a hole in Tokyo.”

“No and that took more magic.  But one day Elysian will reappear there.”

Makoto stared at him with wide eyes.  “Where?  Everything is being used!  Are you going to destroy workplaces or people’s homes?”

Nephrite stroked her hair.  “No, don’t worry about that.  Where Elysian belongs has been…protected from being built over.”

She narrowed her eyes at him.  “Where?”

Nephrite sighed.  “The Imperial Palace.”

“ **WHAT?** ”

Nephrite stuck his finger in his ear and wriggled it to mitigate the effects of her shriek.  “Technically, you are in the Imperial Palace.”

She looked around wildly.  “But, but…”

“Magic, Sparky, magic.  But when Elysian actually reappears, it won’t really bother anyone that certain…parts…of Tokyo are missing.”

“Why is that?”

“Because Elysian won’t reappear on Earth until after the Great Sleep.”


	6. Chapter 6

Minako was broken.

And she knew it.

But she tried to hide it.

She had finally become what she’d always wanted to be.  A superstar.  She already had four albums under her belt as well as two movies as well as countless television appearances.

She was constantly moving from one city to the next.

Minako thanked the gods that she had the sense to leave Artemis with Usagi.  The white cat would probably be so worried about her that he’d forget himself and speak in front of someone.

As it was Usagi called her every week asking when she was going to come home.  Minako usually made soothing noises and keep her frantic pace.

Her manager was thrilled to death.  The more she did was more money in the woman’s pocket.  Minako knew that the woman only cared about her for as long as Minako made her money.  Not the ideal manager one would want for a long lasting career but she already knew that she didn’t have much time left.

Minako stared into the mirror.  The lights surrounding it were brutal in showing her the stress and fatigue that was beginning to line her face.  Then they disappeared with the merciless application of make-up her make-up artist slathered on her.  She could only watch as she disappeared beneath foundation and blush.

She barely noticed when the make-up artist and hair-dresser left the room.

Minako continued to stare into the mirror.  Then she realized that she had her arm raised, hand fisted.  She was ready to smash the mirror.  She wanted to smash the mirror.

She took a deep shuddering breath.  Lowered her arm and relaxed her hand.  She took another breath and managed not to jump at the knock on the door.

“Five minutes, Miss Aino!”

“Thank you.”

Minako rose to her feet, made one last adjustment to her dress and exited the room.

The crowd went insane at her appearance.  Without any difficulty, Minako held them in the palm of her hand for nearly two hours. four costume changes, two re-applications of make-up as well as hairstyle repairs.

Finally, the lights went nearly dark and only Minako was illuminated and she ended the concert with her latest release.  The chorus echoed throughout the stadium:

            _I miss you_

_Where are you?_

_I’m looking for you_

_Why won’t you let me find you?_

Minako stood in the green room surrounded by reporters, radio station personnel, people who had won backstage tickets and various other hangers-on.

She had long ago stopped worrying about if she smelled after a concert.  If people didn’t like the smell of someone who had been working hard for two hours sweating underneath spotlights, then they could just leave.  She smiled cynically to herself.  Not that anyone would leave.  Not if they had a chance to have some of her fame or wealth rub off on them.

Suddenly her senses tingled.  She stopped speaking to whomever it was she speaking to and began looking around the room.  She wasn’t sure what she was looking for but there was something.

Then the door opened.

Her breath caught in her throat.

It was him.

He hadn’t changed.

Not one bit.

People backed away from him as he walked in a straight line to her.  His silver hair glowed in the lights.  His grey eyes glowed with something that she hoped was true.

She barely noticed as one of the security guards approached him asking to see his backstage pass.

He ignored the man.  Until the idiot actually laid hands on him.

Minako kept her eyes on him and not on the security guard moaning in pain on the floor.

Finally, he was in front of her.  She could smell the scent that was so uniquely him.  Even after all these years, she remembered it.

They stood and stared at each other for a long moment.  Then he reached out.  His left hand was ruthlessly gentle as her took hold of her hair and tilted her head back.

Their lips met as their bodies came together.  His right arm pulled her even closer.  Her arms wrapped around his neck as she frantically tried to pull his tongue deeper into her mouth.

She noticed nothing not even her clothing being torn from her body.  Minako didn’t notice that her hands were doing the same thing to him.

They tumbled down into something soft and came together like an earthquake.

Minako clawed his back as she screamed with the joyous agony of having him inside her once again.

She saw the sunlight through her closed eyelids and the bare chest beneath her head rumbled “I forgot to pull the curtains.”

“When exactly would you have been able to pull them closed?” she murmured.  “Between the third or fourth time or after the fifth and before we passed out?”

“Nymphomaniac.”

“Incubus.”

“You weren’t asleep.”

“Lice picker.”

“Nitpicker.”

“Whatever.”  She raised her head and looked at him.  Almost to her horror, Minako felt tears begin to roll down her cheeks.  “Where…where were you?  I…I _needed_ you!”

“I’m so sorry.”

She awkwardly slapped him.  “Damn you, Kunzite!  I’ve been so…so _lonely_!”

The sobs shook her body but Kunzite pulled her close.  He didn’t whisper platitudes.  He simply held her close until she was through.

She was so worn out from her emotional storm, she simply lay in bed as he climbed out and made his way across the luxurious carpets that covered the floor of the stone-walled room.  She winced a little at the claw marks across his back and buttocks.  Really, really nice back and buttocks.  It was obvious that he maintained his body just like he did during the Silver Millennium.

 She heard a shower start and she began to sit up when he came out and she admired his front with even greater appreciation then she did his back.

Kunzite scooped her up in his arms and gave her a long kiss as he carried her across the room.  She barely noticed entering the bathroom let alone the shower but she reveled in the warm water spraying down and across the two of them.

Two pairs of hands gently soaped, lathered and shampooed their lover.  Then Kunzite lifted her up, pressing her against the cool tiles and made love to her again.

A while later, they were sitting in a breakfast nook eating.  She had on a pale yellow silken robe while his was a dark grey.

“Why now?”

Kunzite didn’t even pretend that he didn’t know what she was talking about.  “Because you needed me.  All of you needed us.”

“Ami, Rei and Makoto?”

“Are here.  With Zoi, Jade and Neph.” He smiled.  “And here is Elysian.”

“I didn’t realize it still existed.”

“Barely.  That bitch damned near did destroy the place but Helios managed to shield it.”

“I remember him.  Has he changed?”

“Not really.  But he’s learned to play video games.  Regularly kicks Zoi and Jade’s butts at Call of Duty.”

Minako giggled.

Kunzite gave her a small smile.  A smile that she knew would be an ear to ear grin from anyone else.

“How exactly are we going to explain our little disappearing act?”

"We won't have to.  I brought the Prince and Princess with me and she used the  _Ginzuishou_."  He hesitated for a moment.  "I hope you don't mind but Minako the superstar announced her retirement."

She reached out and cupped his cheek.  "I don't mind.  I think I'm going to be too busy to be a superstar from now on."  She smiled as he pressed a gentle kiss into her palm.  "So what now?"

"Let me show you."


	7. Epilogue

The four Senshi stood with the four Shitennou in Zoicite’s castle.

The girls stared at the Orbs that represented the Solar System.

Makoto stepped forward and with a gentle finger touched hers.  She looked at Ami and Zoicite.  “It has everything?”

Ami nodded.  “I remember.  It has everything.  Not only the memory of what the planet looked like but the plants and animals that were a part of the ecology.  The only thing that we didn’t include were buildings.  That would have been impossible actually.  Sorry.”

Rei laughed.  “We wouldn’t have thought that this was possible so why should we be upset over a few paltry buildings?”

Minako looked over at the young man who was not a member of the Shitennou.  “Thank you for watching over these.”

Helios smiled at her and bowed.  “My pleasure.”

Makoto asked “Ami, if these existed why weren’t they released at the same time as the one used for Earth.”

Helios spoke for her.  “Mercury made copies but she, none of us, realized just how ruthless the witch and her demon master would be or how quickly they would act.  The copies were destroyed when your planets were destroyed.  As it was, even Pluto was only barely able to grab the one and get the final ingredient to activate it before everything was lost.”

“Final ingredient?” asked Rei.

“Blood.  Specifically, the blood of the planet’s Senshi.”

“Which would have been have been Endymion.” Said Makoto.

“Fortunately, when I created them, I didn’t specify that it had to come from the _living_ Senshi.” Murmured Ami.

“So what are you going to do with them now?” asked Helios.

888888

The Inner Senshi and the Shitennou stood in the courtyard of Hikawa Shrine.  They were joined by the Outer Senshi as well as Serenity and Endymion.  Off to the side stood Rei’s Grandfather and Helios.

Each of the Senshi held her planet’s respective Orb in one hand.  With the other hand, three measured drops of blood fell onto the Orbs and were absorbed.

The Orbs began to glow.

The Senshi gathered their power, raised the Orbs above their heads and released them into the sky.

Eight streaks flew across the sky and quickly disappeared.

Mercury sighed.  “Well, it’s going to take them a few years to arrive at their destinations.”

“So they won’t arrive before the Great Sleep?” asked Venus.

“No.  But they will be ready when we awaken.” Replied Mercury.

Endymion spoke with Serenity nodding beside him.  “We only have a couple years left, so we have our own preparations to make.”

Venus took one last look at the sky and smiled at her friends who were also her family. 

“We’re unbroken.  We’ll be ready.”


End file.
